Do small children belong at exclusive dive resorts? In first Class?
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Having children does mean making sacrifices. However, its for their benefit, not for yours.
There are two issues presented here. The first is your right to choose who you associate with while flying. If you want to select the other people on your flight, then charter the entire aircraft or book a private plane. Then you will have absolute discretion to be free from distraction. Just bring your Visa, because the rates aren't cheap.
Until you do that, you're stuck with the fact that people may bring children into your lofty presence. You may also be stuck next to the fat guy who brought his own salami and the traveling salesman who wants to tell you about his products.
The second issue is whether people should allow their children to be a nuisance or should be a nuisance themselves. The answer to that is an emphatic no. Not in coach, not in first class and not at the resort.
When my wife and I travel, we fly first class if it is available on the plane. When we bring our daughter (13 months), she flies with us. We do not allow her to fuss and we make sure that she behaves properly. We address the situation if she doesn't. We know how to handle ear issues and have enough toys to keep her occupied. Besides, she is being taught proper manners from the start, so its not like behaving in public is unfamiliar.
I'm no fan of any person disrupting a flight or behaving badly at a resort. However, while I have certainly seen problems with children, I see far more with adults. I've seen people get falling down drunk, argue with the flight attendants because the flight was delayed and allow their children to misbehave. I'd have no problem putting those people off the plane at the next layover, or sooner if the problem was severe enough.
The same goes for resorts. I've had my vacation disrupted by parties of drunks and by one couple that decided to use the jacuzzi in front of our balcony for their intimate activities.
When we travel, we choose hotels that have babysitting services, i.e., the Westin on Grand Cayman. If they don't, we use the concierge or, in the case of Cobalt Coast, the owner, to locate a baby sitting service. We don't take the baby on the dive boat or allow her to run rampant through the hotel. Similarly, we don't take her to places where it is important that she be very quiet or still, such as movies, fine restaurants, etc...
Like an aircraft, the mere presence of a child should not disrupt your vacation. If it does, the solution is to pick an adults only resort. That's a choice you can make all by yourself.
Alternatively, consider buying property on your favorite island so that you can control who enters your presence. I'm starting my search on Grand Cayman this December.
There is a solution to the problem of disruptive people, whether they are children or not. Speak to the person in charge or to the offending individual in a firm tone. Inform them that they are being disruptive and that you will ask for their immediate relocation or removal if they don't behave properly. Then do it.
I've had considerable success with this method. Either the people have quieted down, the aircrew/resort staff has made them quiet down, or, in the case of a hotel, I've been relocated.
One other method I've found for avoiding problems is to select high quality resorts or hotels. I've experienced far fewer problems with other guests at the St. Regis or The Plaza than I do when I staying at the Days Inn. Moreover, the staff is far more inclined to do something about it.
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Other peoples children are like second hand smoke. Why should I have to put up with them? Sure if I go to a bar, I expect smoke and won't complain, but if I go to a nice restraunt I don't expect to smell smoke or have other peoples rug rats running around my table.
It's fine and dandy to say the parents should make their kids behave, but the reatly of the situation is that most parents don't. An easy no children allowed policy would fix problems, without one it is rare that hotel/restraunt/etc manager is going to go to the parents and ask them to make their children behave.
It's fine and dandy to say the parents should make their kids behave, but the reatly of the situation is that most parents don't. An easy no children allowed policy would fix problems, without one it is rare that hotel/restraunt/etc manager is going to go to the parents and ask them to make their children behave.
In the circumstances you describe, if complaining to the manager and the parents didn't work, then I'd glare at the children and tell them to sit down and shut up. That also works in many cases.
Well said HarleyDiver. Parents should be the ones escorted out who can't control their kids while in public. As said in earlier post, if you can't dive, then you don't belong there. If you're not old enough to drink, then you don't belong in a bar.
PS - what kind of scoot do you ride?
I couldnt agree more Walter, I hope we're doing well by our son in the local dive club meetings when he starts to get fussy. For those who don't see it, my wife takes him to the back and walks him around so he can see what is going on, or in last nights instance, she went outside with him since he has discovered he can make a variety of noises and she didnt want to be disruptful.
Having children shouldn't mean exclusion of activities. There are places where it would be appropriate to have the little person and places not. A smokey bar isn't my first choice. We do take him to our favorite pub on the beach though. Why? Well, my wife and I met there for one and its a family place that is great to relax at, eat dinner, have a beer, and watch the sunset. As for leaving him at home while we travel? Nada...nope.. not me. He's part of our lives, we chose to have a child, and because we chose so we want to include him in our activities. We choose our travel destinations carefully and make sure that we can include him with what we are doing or are near relatives or friends who have expressed interest in sharing time with us and dont mind watching him a few minutes while we do something together.
I can only speak of my wife and I when I say that there is no way we could travel without him. If we fly, he's there with us... if we stay somewhere, he's there with us... if we dive, we have someone trusted on shore with us (he loves visiting the beach and playing in the sand.. or eating it)... if we're at Mote Marine he's there with us.. even Sea World or Bush Gardens.. he's there with us.
Even before I was married and had a wee one, I couldn't even think of someone leaving their kids behind to go play for a few days or weeks. I got irritated at parents who didnt hear their babies cry and investigate why (hmm..wet, hungry, sleepy? its really basic to figure out its one of those things). As a parent I see it even more so. Appearently there is a name for parents like my wife and I.. Attachment Parenting. The ones who let their baby "cry it out" or ignore the little signals are called trainers. I feel for them... they dont realize that the little life depends on their help and guidance and not when its convenient for the parent to peek over and say "oh, he's stopped and gone back to sleep" when in reality he's just sleeping to mask the hunger or discomfort. I tell you one thing, was there all the way through the birth, cut the cord and was the first person those little eyes looked at.. I may have cut that cord tying him to his mommy for the first part of his life, but that look tied him to my heart for the rest of mine.
Maybe one day you'll be a parent and you'll see things in a whole new light.
GearHead
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<LOL> :rofL:
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